How to Add the Mouth to a Cartoon Character

Making your own cartoon character allows you to exercise your creativity and practice your drawing skills. Whether your cartoon character is a caricature of someone you know or a super hero you imagine, he needs facial features, including a mouth. Below are some tips on how to draw the perfect mouth for your cartoon creation.

Instructions

1. Decide what expression you want the mouth to have. If your character is happy, for instance, you'll want to draw a big smile. Anger can be represented by a short line turned down on one side or, sometimes, even fangs.

2. Add elements of your cartoon character's personality to the mouth. A sophisticated cartoon woman might get big lips, while a kid may get none. Things like lipstick, piercings and teeth are important details.

3. Draw the cartoon character's mouth out with a pencil first. This allows you to try out multiple mouths and expressions.

4. Size your cartoon mouth correctly. A proportionate mouth should extend from the center of one eye's pupil to the other, but over or under-sizing a cartoon character's mouth is a great way to show expression.

5. Emphasize the mouth with a shadow on the chin or dimples. Drawing in details like this makes a cartoon mouth look more realistic.

Tips & Warnings

• If you draw a wide open mouth, don't forget to include the tongue.